There are many ways you can get involved with VCOA Chicago:
Participate
More than anything, we want to see you out riding and enjoying scootering. Come on a few rides, see what we’re all about, and we think you’ll wanna make space on your jacket for our patch. VCOA-Chicago rides and events are generally open to the public, and anyone (on any scooter) is welcome to attend. (if there are any exceptions, we’ll make them clear in the listing). There are also lots of non-VCOA rides and events around Chicagoland and the midwest, and you’ll find those listed here, too.
Join
To join VCOA-Chicago, all you need to do is join the national VCOA. You’ll get all the benefits of VCOA membership plus the Chicago perks. It’s not expensive, you get roadside assistance and a lot of other goodies, and you’re supporting the club… and the work of the people that keep it running.
Communicate
We can’t plan events you’ll love and make your VCOA experience great if we don’t know what you want. Keep in touch, share your questions, ideas, and feedback with us. Please take this quick survey.
Represent
Represent VCOA-Chi at scooter rallies around the midwest (and the world!). Meet scooterists from all over the place, and see what this whole ‘scooter scene’ is all about. The big one in Chicago is Slaughterhouse, over Labor Day weekend. Amerivespa is the biggest national rally, run by VCOA, and changes location every year. Milwaukee, St. Louis and other midwestern cities have annual rallies, too, watch the newsletter for links and updates. If you’re not up for a several-hour ride, ask for help getting your bike there. We’re also working on ways to get more involved in the international scootering community, especially with World Vespa Days coming to Canada in a couple years.
Support
We’d love to see you at an event, but we’d like it even more if you can lend a hand. Any offer for help is welcome, whatever your talents are, we can put you to work. Plan events, help organize them, help promote them, find places to meet, offer technical help, legal advice, creative services, whatever you can do, we’d appreciate it. Most of the longest, most enduring friendships we’ve made in scootering started with a new face at a rally saying “Hey, anything I can do to help?” (“Can I buy you a drink” usually works pretty well, too.)
Sponsor
We can always use sponsors, if you run a business (or enjoy talking people into giving us money, goods, or services), let’s talk! We need places to meet, occasional food, raffle prizes, goodie bag swag, and we can bring customers your way.